Lithium deposits may form in a battery following high rate discharge, such as during a discharge conditioning process step of battery manufacture. The discharge conditioning step includes partially discharging the lithium battery during the manufacturing process to ensure the battery is stable. It is generally desirable to discharge the battery as quickly as possible to maintain high production throughputs. However, the faster the discharge step, the higher the load current that is required, which can lead to increased lithium deposit formation. In some cases, such lithium deposits bridge between negative and positive battery components causing a short circuit. This could lead to early depletion of the battery and other performance or safety issues.
Improved methods of manufacturing batteries for implantable devices are needed.